Device for blocking wire lay



2 Sheets-Sheet 1 A T TOPNEYS.

W. M. LAYMON DEVICE FOR BLOCKING WIRE LAY Nov. 10, 1964 Filed Feb. 25,1965 Nv Rm mA NL E V mM Z a @lf/@MMM \m FIG.

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Nov. 10, 1964 w. M. LAYMON 3,156,354

DEVICE FOR BLocxING WIRE LAY Filed Feb. 25, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIGA-INVENTOE WILL/AM M- LAYMUN @YEEWE A770? YS- United States Patent O3,156,354 DEVICE FOR BLOCKING WIRE LAY William Ni. Layman, Fort Wayne,Ind., assigner to Phelps Dodge Copper Products Corporation, New York,NX., a corporation of Delaware Filed Feb. 25, 1963, Ser. No. 260,389Claims. (Cl. 20e-53) This invention relates to the packaging of wire,such as magnet wire, in packages of the type comprising a container inthe form of a pail or drum in which the wire is coiled in a lay around acentral core, and a blocking device disposed in the void between thecontainer lid and the coiled wire lay for maintaining the latter undercompression. The invention has particular reference to an improvedblocking device for the wire lay in such packages. v

Packages of the type described are subjected to considerable and, attimes, rather rough handling incident to shipment and other operations.Accordingly, it is a function of the blocking device to maintainpressure on the wire lay and thus prevent shifting of the wire coilsrelative to each other or 'to the container in which they have beenplaced. Otherwise, serious tangling and kinking of the wire will resultas the wire is being uncoiled from the container.

Heretofore, this blocking of lthe wire lay in the container hasgenerally been accomplished by placing a filler of cushioning material,such as foamed plastic blocks, rubberized hair or coiled springs, on topof the wire to fill the void in the container above the wire lay. Thecushioning material is then compressed and held under compression untilthe cover or lid ot the container is positioned and sealed, so that thepressure on the wire lay is maintained by the removable lid of thecontainer. However, since the depth of the Wire lay will usually differin different containers, such blocking means have the disadvantage thatthey require resort to varying the amount of filler material used in thedifferent containers, in order to compensate for variations in thedistance between the top of the Wire lay and the top opening of thecontainer. In practice, even this compensating measure does not make itpossible to maintain a standard amount of pressure on the wire lays inthe different containers. Substantial variations from a predeterminedamount of such pressure are undesirable because if the pressure is toohigh, the lid may be loosened or forced oli the container during thehandling; and if the cushioning material is insuiiiciently compressed,it may permit shifting of the wire lay in the container during handling.Moreover, application of the ller material, in varying amounts orthicknesses for diierent containers, is an exacting and time-consumingoperation.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a wire layblocking device which overcomes the above-noted disadvantages of theyblocking devices commonly used.

The blocking device of the present invention does not depend upon thecontainer lid to maintain the wire lay under compression, nor does itrequire any variation in the dimensions of the device to compensate fordiierent depths of the wire lay in the container. It may be properlypositioned in the container quickly and easily and may be readilyremoved.

A blocking device made according to the invention comprises a cushionmounted on top of the Wire lay in the usual annular space dened by 'thecylindrical outer Wall of the wire container and by its central coreforming the inner wall of this space. The device comprises also a clipin this space overlying the cushion in position to hold it compressedagainst the Wire lay and thereby press the latter against the containerbottom.

3,155,354 atented Nov. 10, 1964 ICC The clip includes releasable prongmeans embedded in either the inner or the outer wall of the annularspace to hold the clip against upward displacement by the cushion.Preferably, the clip is mounted on a retaining member engaging the topof the cushion and fitting closely between the inner and outer walls tohold the prong means embedded in one wall, and this retainer member ismovable relative to the other wall to release the prong means from theone wall.

With this construction, the wire lay may be effectively blocked,regardless of its depth in the container, by simply pushing the clipdownwardly to subject the underlying cushion to the desired compression,and then locking the clip by embedding its prong means in the opposinginner or outer wall of the annular space. Conversely, the wire lay maybe readily unblocked by tilting or otherwise moving the clip to withdrawits prong means from the opposing wall to permit lifting the clip andcushion from the annular space in the container.

A better understanding of the invention may be had be referring to thefollowing description in conjunction With the accompanying drawings, inwhich:

FIG. 1 is a perspective, partially cut-away view of a container having acenter core around which the wire lay is wound, the container havingtherein a preferred form of the blocking device of the presentinvention;

FIG. 2 is a horizontal sectional View taken along the line 2 2 of FIG.l;

FIG. 3 is a detailed perspective view of the assembled blocking device;and

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional View on line 4 4 in FIG. 2.

The blocking device is illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 as being located ina shipping and storage container indicated generally by the referencenumeral 1t). Container 11i comprises outside cylindrical Wall 11, abottom 12 integral with wall 11, a removable cover 13, and a cylindricalcore 14 extending upwardly from bottom 12 substantially coaXially of theWall 11. Thus, container 1G provides an annular space 10a defined byouter wall 11 `and the inner wall formed by core 14. The wire to bepackaged is coiled in the usual manner in the annular space 19a aroundcore 14, to form a wire lay 15 seated on the container bottom 12.

The blocking device is shown generally at 16. As illustrated, three ofthese devices overlie the wire lay 15 and are spaced around the core orinner Wall 14, in order to block the wire lay at different locations andthereby hold the wire coilsy more securely against shitting in thecontainer. Since the blocking devices 16 are identical to each other, adescription of one will suflice.

Each blocking device 16 comprises a clipy 17, a clipretaining member inthe form of a pressure pad 1S to which clip 17 is attached, and a blockof cushioning material 19 which may also be attached to pad 18. The clip17 makes locking engagement with inner wall 14, through releasable prongmeans 22 embedded in this wall, and thereby holds pad 18 in apredetermined vertical position along the core. In this position of pad18, the cushion 19 is compressed between pad 1S and Wire lay 15, so thatthe wire lay is held under compression against the container bottom 12.

The container 10 may be of conventional construction for packaging wire,such as magnet wire. The cylindrical wall 11, bottom surface 12 andcover 13 will generally be The clip 17 may be formed from a rectangularilat strip of hard-temper spring steel. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, asection is partially punched from the lat strip ot steel and angularlybent at the point where it still adjoins the flat strip, to form acenter leg 20 extending below and parallel to the two side legs 21 alsoformed due to the punching. The distance that center leg 20 extendsbelow side legs 21 will be of the order of the thickness of pressure pad18, or less, so that clip 17 may be tirmly attached to the pad byinserting center leg 20 through" a hole 18a in the pad. At its innerportion, beyond where the legs 329-21 begin, the strip is bent upward asshown at 17a. This upwardly inclined portion 17a terminates in prongs 22formed by bending the corners downward. These prongs 22 may be embeddedin fiber core 14 to lock pad 13 and cushion 19 in a iixed verticalposition on wire lay 1S. The prongs 22 provide a strong but easilyreleased locking action between clip 17 and core 14. It has been foundthat the locking and release will also be facilitated by bending theinclined portion 17a at an angle of about 45 to the horizontal portionof element 17.

Pressure pad 1S of blocking device 16 is formed from relatively thindie-cut corrugated fiber board in the preferred embodiment of theinvention. This pad, as illustrated in FGS. 2 and 3, is of arcuate shapeand lits snugly between wall 11 and core 14 of container 1t), so thatthe arcuate inner and outer edges of the pad conform to the contours ofcore 1- and wall 11, respectively. The outer arcuate edge of the pad i8is serrated, as shown at 23, to accommodate minor variances in diameterof outer wall 11 and core 14 in different containers; that is, the teeth23 will collapse when the radial distance between wall 11 and core 14 isslightly smaller than the radial dimension of pad 1S. This serrated edgeZ3 also permits pad 13 to fit snugly against wall 11 and thereby aidclip 17 in resisting any upward movement of wire lay 1S within container1G.

The cushion 19 may be a block of foamed plastic, such as polyurethane.As shown, this block is attached to the overlying pressure pad 18 bysuitable means, such as a staple 24, to keep the block in fixed positionrelative to the pad. Because of the resiliency of block 19, it may becompressed into tight-fitting relationship with wire lay 15 by settingpad 18 in a given vertical position along core 14. The cushioning block19 will then continue to exert downward pressure on wire lay 1S as thewire settles in the container. 0f course, the cushion 19 may take otherforms than that illustrated, such as a coiled spring.

In the use of the blocking device as illustrated, the wire lay 15 istirst wound around core 14 of container 1t). The assembled blockingdevice 16 is then positioned in annular space 10a so that cushioningblock 19 is in contact with the top of wire lay 15. Generally, at leastthree of the blocking devices 16 are spaced equidistantly around core14. Downward pressure is then applied by hand to pad 18 of each blockingdevice 15, thereby placing its cushioning block 1S? under compressionagainst wire lay 15. When the hand pressure is released from pad 1S, theresulting upward expansion of the compressed block 19 causes the points22 of clip 17 to cut and lock into liber core 14 and thereby preventfurther expansion of the block. The block or cushion 19 is thus heldunder the desired compression, which serves to hold the prong points 22embedded in core 1d so as to resist upward displacement of the device.The blocking device 16 is easily removed by applying downward pressureto the pad 1S at its outer portion adjacent the wall l1. This pressureacts to tilt the clip 17 so as to disengage its prongs 22 from core 14,whereby the blocking device 16 can be lifted from container 10.

The ease and speed of thus blocking or unblocking the wire lay 15 atorda definite advantage over conventional blocking means involving thepacking and unpacking of considerable ller material in the container.Moreover, no additional filler material is needed as compensation to CIIeliect tight re-blocking after wire is removed from wire lay 15, sincethe blocking device 16 can be readily locked in different verticalpositions to accommodate different depths of the wire lay. Additionally,the blocking action of the device 16 is not dependent upon exerting anupward force on cover 13, tending to loosen or remove it.

Although the present invention has been described with a certain degreeof particularity, it is understood that the present disclosure has beenmade only by way of example and that numerous changes in the details ofthe construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may beresorted to without departing from the spirit and the scope of theinvention as hereafter claimed.

I claim:

1. The combination of a wire container having a bottom, a generallycylindrical outer side wall and a generally cylindrical core disposedsubstantially coaxially of said outer wall and surrounded thereby inspaced relation thereto, said core forming the inner wall of an annularvertical space delined by said outer wall and the core, a lay of wirecoiled in said space around the core and surrounded by said outer wall,a cushion in said space mounted on top of the wire lay, and a clip insaid space overlying the cushion in position to hold the cushioncompressed against the wire lay and thereby press the wire lay againstthe container bottom, said clip having releasable prong means embeddedin one of said walls to hold the clip against upward displacement by thecushion.

2. The combination according to claim l, comprising also a retainingmember on which the clip is mounted and which lits closely between thewalls to hold the prong means embedded in said one wall, the retainingmember being movable relative to the other wall to release the prongmeans from said one wall.

3. The combination according to claim l, in which the prong means areembedded in said inner wall formed by the core.

4. The combination according to claim l, comprising also an arcuateretaining member on which the clip is mounted and which fits closelybetween the walls to hold the prong means embedded in said inner wall,the retaining member engaging the cushion and being movable relative tothe outer wall to release the prong means from the inner wall.

5. The combination according to claim l, comprising also an arcuateretaining member on which the clip is mounted and which lits closelybetween the walls to hold the prong means embedded in said inner wall,the retaining member engaging the cushion and being movable relative tothe outer wall to release the prong means from the inner wall, saidretaining member being of flexible material and havino a serrated edgeabutting said outer wall.

6. The combination according to claim 1, comprising also a retainingmember on which the clip is mounted and which lits closely between thewalls to hold the prong means embedded in said one wall, the clip havinga base portion secured to the retaining member and also having a portioninclined upwardly from said base portion toward said one wall andterminating in said prong means, the retaining member being movablerelative to the other wall to release the prong means from said onewall.

7. The combination according to claim l, comprising also a retainingmember on which the clip is mounted and which tits closely between thewalls to hold the prong means embedded in said one wall, the retainingmember being movable relative to the other wall to release the prongmeans from said one wall, and means securing the retaining member to thecushion.

8. ln a device for blocking the lay of wire coiled in an annular spacebetween inner and outer cylindrical walls of a container, thecombination of a clip-retaining member adapted to tit closely in saidspace above the wire lay, said member having inner and outer arcuateedges, and

per surface of said member, said inclined portion terminating in prongmeans overlying one of said edges.

10. The combination according to claim 9, comprising also a cushionsecured to the lower surface of said member.

References Cited in the iile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,889,921 Hubbard June 9, 1959

1. THE COMBINATION OF A WIRE CONTAINER HAVING A BOTTOM, A GENERALLYCYLINDRICAL OUTER SIDE WALL AND A GENERALLY CYLINDRICAL CORE DISPOSEDSUBSTANTIALLY COAXIALLY OF SAID OUTER WALL AND SURROUNDED THEREBY INSPACED RELATION THERETO, SAID CORE FORMING THE INNER WALL OF AN ANNULARVERTICAL SPACE DEFINED BY SAID OUTER WALL AND THE CORE, A LAY OF WIRECOILED IN SAID SPACE AROUND THE CORE AND SURROUNDED BY SAID OUTER WALL,A CUSHION IN SAID SPACE MOUNTED ON TOP OF THE WIRE LAY, AND A CLIP INSAID SPACE OVERLYING THE CUSHION IN POSITION TO HOLD THE CUSHIONCOMPRESSED AGAINST THE WIRE LAY AND THEREBY PRESS THE WIRE LAY AGAINSTTHE CONTAINER BOTTOM, SAID CLIP HAVING RELEASABLE PRONG MEANS EMBEDDEDIN ONE OF SAID WALLS TO HOLD THE CLIP AGAINST UPWARD DISPLACEMENT BY THECUSHION.